moonvoice | [Art] Work!

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moonvoice

What I've been working on lately.
All work and no play makes...
makes me...
er...

be nice and send chocolate?

And now to sleep. Too much work.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

lupagreenwolf

The thing that just gets me over and over and over again is how you're able to draw pretty much anything and make it look like what it's supposed to be. I know you've mentioned animals in the past that were more challenging for you, but beyond that, the diversity of your work is just awe-inspiring.

(Also--FERRET SMOOCHIES!!!!!!)

From:

moonvoice

I find that easiest with birds, but I think that's what I enjoy about illustrating different species of animals in general. How the change of a curve, or looking at the slope and angle of the back of a pheasant's head determines that it is a pheasant and not a grouse, and so on.

I do find pheasant body shapes easier, but their feathers? Gah. Started inking, and this Reeve's pheasant is going to be the death of me. FEATHERS. Silly camouflaging animals with mottled patterning!

From:

lupagreenwolf

See, and I just envy the hell out of you, because most times I can't ever get the lines exactly right. You, it looks like you traced, but I know damned well you didn't. You just manage to draw that neatly (though I'm guessing you don't always get it right on the first try). You've got a really good eye for that.

From:

moonvoice

A lot of the stuff involving getting the lines right is just practice practice practice. I used to sketch a lot, and that's mostly how I can do what I do now - that and I draw pretty much every day which keeps my hand and wrist muscles limber - if I stop for a week or two, I get quite stiff and it takes a few hours/days for muscle memory to kick in. Do you ever get something similar with running?

Sitting at the zoo with a pad and pencil (usually by the waterbirds exhibit) and just drawing. And learning to draw fast, because a lot of animals - unsurprisingly - don't give a damn about me drawing them! Heh. Firstly, it's a fun way to wile away a couple of hours, secondly - as you get better - it's a great way of meeting people, and thirdly - zoo!

I don't know if you've got any farms, wildlife parks, lakes with birds or zoos nearby, but if you can get down there with a sketchpad (cartridge paper is good), a 2B pencil, sharpener and malleable erasers, it's one of the fastest ways to both have a good time / improve animal drawing. :) I mean, even just drawing local dogs at the park will improve wild dog drawing skills, for example.

er. I'm going to stop rambling now!